Holding On
by swanxsong
Summary: Sequel to Letting Go. Following Eliot's recovery from the injuries he suffered saving Parker on the rooftop, Nate accepts a 'low risk' job to get the hitter back into the swing of things. But no job is with out risk. Eliot/Parker-centric.
1. Chapter 1

An honest politician, it seemed like an oxymoron. There was no way the man sitting before Nathan Ford was actually telling the truth. Even so Nate was used to keeping a poker face and maintaining eye contact with the best of the worst, so he listened to Johnathan Baker's tale of woe and misery. He waited patiently as Congressman Barker told him about his campaign manager Shoshanna Gray, a woman of style, grace, and expensive tastes. Mr. Barker produced photographs of Ms. Gray, a tall willowy red head in a designer suit and heels that Sophie would die for, every picture showed her shopping, getting out of a luxury automobile, or having lunch dates with various men in some of the most exclusive restaurants in the bay area. Shoshanna was not beautiful, but she had a certain allure about her. Power was an aphrodisiac and so was sophistication and the woman knew how to package and work with the feminine whiles that God had given her. She also seemed to have a taste for attractive men, each and every one of them was well built, and handsome. All of them were well clothed, tailored suits or perfectly fitted jeans. They ranged from rugged to polished, but all of them were stunning in their own rights.

"So, she likes to take handsome men to lunch and dinner dates. I'm assuming she can afford to do so on her salary."

Nate swirled his scotch in the glass sitting on the table before him. He had been sipping it through out the meeting, it helped him keep from sounding too dismissive of Mr. Barker as a potential client.

"A few yes, but these were all taken over the last couple of weeks. She seems to have a new friend every day and she doesn't just feed them, she clothes them, she pays for tanning and hair cuts...all on my credit. She has been drawing on campaign funds to support her boy toys and even though I can prove she is making the charges and I am not no one wants to listen the rumors are enough for my opponents to capitalize on. They don't need solid fact that just need...tabloid sleaze."

"Mr. Baker, leave the photos with me...I'll show them to my team and we'll see what we can dig up on Ms. Gray. I can't promise you anything, but we can at least look into it and I will be in touch."

Yes, it was exactly what Nathan Ford told the people that came to him when he didn't plan to take their cases. Mr. Baker knew it was true as well, so all he did was nod as he rose and offered Nate a hand to shake before he left McRory's.

Nate refilled his glass and headed upstairs where the team was waiting for him to finish the meeting. All five of them, Nate included, had been chomping at the bit lately in need of a job, some action, anything. Ever since Eliot had been hurt they'd been forced to take time off. They could have hired another hitter to cover for him while he healed, but it would have been an insult to Eliot and a disservice to themselves. Not to mention the fact that Parker was steadfast in her insistence that she wouldn't work a team job without Eliot. Truth was none of them wanted to go out there without 'their' hitter, it wasn't just a matter of the fact that they had THE Eliot Spencer and very few others could even come close to doing his job as well as he did. It was also a fact that they were a family, and they would never dream of working without him. They were loyal to one another. Even if Hardison was still quieter around the couple than he ever had been before. Even though the unspoken issues between the trio sometimes saw one or two of them leave a room rather than add to the tension. Eliot and Parker were doing their best to respect and be sensitive to Alec's feelings, and Alec was doing his best to be respectful of the two of them, and not to let his personal feelings for Parker ruin the happiness they had found together. But sometimes it was very difficult to let go.

Eliot and Parker were on the couch watching basketball on the flat screen when Nate entered. Eliot was trying to explain the various positions to Parker, and while Parker was nodding she wasn't really paying attention. When it came to sports they had a bit of a rift between them, Parker understood tackling and had in fact proven herself very skilled at that aspect of playing football. Thankfully Eliot was also very good at taking a hit, and didn't much mind being 'pinned' under a squirming and pleased with herself Parker. Tossing the ball around in the grass at Daisy Field, and chasing one another around had helped the hitter regain his speed and stamina after being off his feet for a couple months. He'd worked the kinks out of his injured knee and retrained his reflexes; while Parker had enjoyed the exercise and the atypically warm weather and his company.

She had also very much enjoyed having a hard muscled and slightly sweaty Eliot underneath her after another successful tackle.

Parker liked football...basketball was another story thus far. While she was certain she would enjoy herself 'shooting hoops' with the hitter, watching the game on television just wasn't visceral enough for her. But if it kept her in popcorn and it made Eliot happy she would get more than enough out of it to make the effort worth her while.

Eliot was emphatically trying to make Parker understand why the last call the ref had made was such a bad one. If he yelled any louder the ref would be aware of his opinion as well. Parker just allowed that smirk to curve her lips while she told Eliot he was absolutely right, even though she had no real idea what the heck he was talking about. Every so often she would reach down and stall the motion of his hand before he threw the small rubber balloon filled with silicone beads at the television screen. Parker had dubbed the ball Eliot's 'stress grape', in truth it was a physical therapy ball designed to strengthen and exercise his healing hands and fingers after they had finally removed the casts. At first he had barely been able to grip the damn thing, but now; well actually this was his third one as he had popped the other two.

He didn't need it anymore but mauling the thing while he watched television or read a book had become a habit. A restless habit, one that would probably fade into nothingness once the team got back to work.

Hardison was playing Warcraft, he had discovered a passion for transmogrification during their down time. His level eighty-five Hoardie was all decked out now. Sophie showed some appreciation for his efforts, but the most he got out of Eliot was a quizzical sideways glance. While the hitter had been down Hardison had really tried to teach him some respect for the game, the real game, the big game. But Eliot just hadn't learned to appreciate, although Parker had made a little blood elf warlock and had Alec run her through dungeons for good loot and drops. For Parker it was always about the loot. In addition to mastering the World of Warcraft Hardison had also upgraded their earbuds for added range and clarity as well as strengthening and streamlining their security systems after having worked too closely with Chaos for his own comfort.

Sophie was brewing a cup of tea at the kitchen counter, perched on a stool wearing a pair of black skinny pants and a silvery draped cashmere sweater her boot heel was hanging on the rung of the stool and her manicured nails were gently tapping the granite while she flipped through a fashion magazine that had just been sent to her by Tara. Tara had obviously been in Milan recently. When she saw Nate she held up a photo of an anorexic model in a black and white haute couture dress that looked like a short version of something they had seen on the academy awards the other night.

"Nate, what do you think. Too Audrey Hepburn? Well, other than the hemline of course."

Nate had long since learned that when it came to fashion he could not get away with lip service to Sophie Deveraux. If he didn't really look and give an honest opinion she would know it and you'd pay for it long term. So when she held up the photo Nate crossed the room and moved to her side to look at the ensemble.

"No, no...the trailing bow in the back is very dramatic and it will look terrific with those patterned stockings you've been wearing."

Sophie beamed, it was always nice to know that the man you were involved with noticed things like the kind of stockings you'd been favoring lately. Of course Nate could rarely keep his eyes off the brunette's exceptionally long legs for any length of time and with nothing on the books lately to occupy their time they had spent the last few quiet months rather closely together.

"Now that her pressing fashion concern had been addressed Sophie looked up to Nate and asked him about the meeting.

"So, do we have a job? What did you think of Mr. Barker?"

Nate shook his head no and set the handful of photos of Shoshanna Gray down on the counter next to Sophie's magazine. The grifter picked them up and started flipping through them one by one, taking note of the locations, the fashions, the atmosphere, and the people in them as well.

"I'm not impressed. For starters we usually work to uncover crooked politicians, not to repair the reputations of honest ones."

He said the word honest with a slight laugh and looked up to see the other three members of the team looking back at him with eager expressions on their faces.

"An honest politician? That would be a first."

Eliot piped in first, agreeing with the team leader, Parker turned on the couch, careful not to knock over the bowl of popcorn and planted her elbows on the back of the sofa. Her curvy backside thrust out as she knelt caught Eliot's attention and he smirked and gave the stress grape a white knuckled squeeze.

Hardison was already tapping away on the keys, and within second he had photo's of Congressman Baker and Shoshanna Gray up on the screen. He also had access to the man's bank files and personal accounts as was working on the same for Ms. Gray as he spoke.

"His family isn't wealthy, he comes from a long line of public servants actually. Policemen, fire fighters, good Boston blood..."

"Hardison, cross reference Mr. Baker's business accounts with Aujourd'hui...Terramia...and Grille 23."

"Bing...Bing...and Ba Dah Bing...all three in the last month. And the bar tabs are...wow they are astronomical. Baker likes to wine and dine them, that's for sure."

"Not Baker." Sophie replied. "Shoshanna Gray...right here in the photos. That's what he is claiming right Nate, that she is the one abusing his political privileges. Raping his expense accounts."

"Uhm...yeah...yes he is. You think he's telling the truth?"

"I'd say so from the looks of these and the matching charges. She's found a way to access his expense accounts."

"Why doesn't he just fire her?"

Parker asked the question everyone was wondering and four pairs of eyes turned to her and then to Nate for the answer.

"According to Mr. Barker she has threatened to start a sex scandal, she told him if he didn't keep her on until the end of his term and her full contract that she'd go to the press and claim they have been having an affair. You don't need proof to start a scandal and with his finances already in question it would be the nail in his coffin."

Nate took a seat next to Sophie and looked over to the photos again, he wasn't crazy about this job but it was what they had and it didn't seem to risky. Not another Damien Moreau or Sterling. It would be a good way to get Eliot's feet wet again.

He stared at the images on the screen, as Hardison brought up new photos as well as other documents of varying importance.

"Hardison, what was that...just there, no back one more...that one the confirmation from..."

"Black Mountain Ski Resort...just outside of Jackson, New Hampshire. Looks like someone made a reservation for this weekend...staying a week."

Hardison starting tapping away and within moments they had a full schedule of events at Black Mountain for the next month.

"Tele Skiing, looks like they are having some kind of Tele Skiing event, a precursor to the big Festival in Bear Valley."

Sophie piped in again then, she had gleaned a wealth of information from the photo's and was ready to share more of the details so that Hardison could cross reference them and they could fill in some more of the blanks concerning Shoshanna Gray.

"This man here..." She showed Nate the one she meant, handing over the photo as she turned to the next one now that she was on a roll. "He's..I think he is a baseball player...and this one looks like..a surfer, professional surfer...God I don't know their names."

Nate handed the photos to Hardison and he took them over to the scanner and ran them through his state of the art facial recognition software suite. If either of the men had been in any kind of trade publication, magazine, newspaper, had a legal photo identification card made in the last ten years, or had a criminal record they would find him.

"Your right Soph...your absolutely right. Ms. Gray has a thing for athletes."

At that announcement all eyes turned to their hitter. After all he had a fairly successful minor league baseball career with the stats and Japanese energy drink commercials to prove it. Local baseball fans had been sorry to hear that Roy had been traded to Tallahassee but his sandwich still sold well and occasionally Eliot was mistaken for the catcher.

"Eliot, how's the knee feeling?"

Nate asked with a smile already knowing the answer he'd be getting.

"Fine."

"Good. Good...let's go steal us a snow bunny."

Only Parker seemed to be confused, and Eliot was glad of that because he would rather explain that he was going to go seduce the crooked campaign manager in a secure environment than here where Parker was capable of breaking some pretty high tech and difficult to replace equipment.


	2. Chapter 2

It shouldn't have been easy for Hardison to make them all reservations during the big tele skiing festival. The Black Mountain Lodge was booked solid, but all that too was so shifting and restructuring and a few sadly lost reservations for other guests and he cleared them two rooms in the fully booked lodge.

Mr and Mrs Kevin and Christy Connelly would share a room adjacent to that occupied by Mr. Kenneth Crane. Hardison could float between the three rooms with the majority of his equipment stashed in Nate and Sophie's suite. It suited the hacker just fine, as he absolutely hated the cold and the snow. If all he needed to do during this con was make sure they got all the right pictures and receipts, keep track of the team and stay toasty warm in the decked out suite that was wonderful. Parker could do the same, her role on this assignment would vary, but mostly Nate wanted her to blend into the background. Sophie had packed her the right clothing to make an appearance on the slopes, and she could 'borrow' any one of a dozen different resort employees uniforms so they could place her in the dining room, housekeeping, or the front desk as required. Nate and Sophie were going to mingle, and partner up with Shoshanna and the hopefully irresistible Kenneth Crane; Eliot would be posing as an accomplished tele skier and instructor with NATO (North American Telemark Organization). They hoped that his natural charm and good looks would be enough to entice Ms. Gray amid all the other possible choices at the resort. It had taken Eliot the better part of the night after Nate had taken the job to assure Parker that he did not find Shoshanna at all attractive and that he'd do his best to refrain from kissing her or anything else.

"Parker, you have to understand, I'm playing a part. Just like you play Alice White."

"Yeah but Sophie says that any part we play is really just as aspect of ourselves. When I was Alice I made friends, same as when I was Agent Hagan."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to make friends with Shoshanna Gray. It doesn't mean I'm going to like her."

"But she is going to like you. I trust you Sparky...but look how she is with these men. She...she touches them and hangs on them and it's...it's gross and I don't want to see her slithering all over you."

"It's part of the job to try to make her like me. But I'll try not to let her get too slithery. And when it's done and she's gone...I'll come home with you."

Home...yeah they had found a place of their own and called it home. It was a big old Victorian house in the South End of the city. It had more rooms than they could possibly use but Parker had fallen in love with the twelve foot ceilings and Eliot had been charmed by the natural hardwoods and gourmet kitchen. The time he didn't spend cooking in and organizing his 'domain' he spent refinishing the flooring and restaining the woodwork and in generally being the man of the house. Sophie had taken Parker on a number of legitimate shopping trips to decorate and furnish the place. With Eliot's tastes in mind they had chosen natural fabrics in an array of colors, and the overall atmosphere of the home was open, airy and comfortable. It was the kind of place where you could kick off your shoes at the end of a long day an stretch out on the sofa in front of the fireplace, or watch a game in the family room. It was the home Eliot hadn't had in years, and the one Parker had never experienced at all. Eliot was already talking about planting a garden this spring and Parker had the entire basement retrofitted so she could practice her skills and build new harnesses and climbing gear. They had accumulated a sizable collection of DVD movies as Eliot continued to introduce her to a variety of classics and more contemporary fare. Parker loved "The Wizard of Oz", and although it wasn't really one of Eliot's top picks he watched it with her at least once a week or so. She had also gone out of her way to add titles to Eliot's collection of vintage books. He knew better than to ask her where she had found a first edition Dickens or a signed Mark Twain. They had delegated one of the extra bedrooms to be their den and he kept his books there and Parker displayed some of her most prized possessions including a lost Picasso and a five carat blue sapphire. She loved that she had a place to show off her treasures and with Hardison's custom designed security system the place was as safe as Fort Knox.

The couple considered getting a dog, the house was kind of quiet with just the two of them and neither of them were big on entertaining, although the rest of the team was welcome to visit and even spend the weekend whenever they liked. They decided against adding a pet to the household for now, as they both agreed that they spent too little time at home while they were working and it wouldn't be good for a pet.

Parker had never felt as safe and secure as she did I that big old house with Eliot. It showed in everything she did, her entire demeanor. Parker had always been confident in her abilities where the job was concerned, but now she seemed more relaxed in social situations as well. She didn't get as jumpy around strangers, and even struck up a conversation with a cashier at a home improvement store about flooring choices and ceramic tile. She suddenly found herself with real life 'normal' things to discuss. Things she had never even considered before.

She learned how to do laundry. And took great pride in neatly folded rows of socks in the dresser drawers and the fact that after the first three tries she had stopped turning all Eliot's socks pink. They still cooked together, and even though Eliot was in charge of the kitchen she was a terrific assistant and a whiz with a knife...no big surprise there. She had just never thought to use it on fresh vegetables before. The first time she had created a tomato skin rosette she you would have thought she had lifted the Mona Lisa. She kept it in a container in the fridge for over a week to make sure she showed it off to everyone.

Eliot had set up a home gym; and hung up both a heavy, and a punching bag in the basement, as well as a kick boxing dummy. He would often look up from a workout; hair hanging in strings down the sides of his face and his bare upper body glistening with sweat, to find Parker hanging upside down in one of her rigs grinning at him from ear to ear. She loved watching him work, loved that he was able to work. For awhile there she'd been nervous that he might never get back to where he had been. Seeing the Xrays of his hands had caused justifiable concern for the entire team. But Parker had seen far more than they had while she had taken care of Eliot during his recovery. She had seen his frustration when he first got the casts off his hands and couldn't manage the buttons on the damn remote control. She had been there to rub the soreness an stiffness from them at night while they snuggled on the couch. She had seen him come close to ripping that heavy bag down from the rafter when he had called it quits after his first work out with only ten minutes spent at the task. She'd had good reason to be worried about him, but watching him improve, watching how hard he worked to recover and rebuild himself in the end it had done nothing but fill her with pride and awe. You cold watch a man fix a broken machine and be impressed with his skill, but when you watched him repair himself you could do nothing but be impressed by the man.

Eliot Spencer happened to be a very impressive sort of man and she couldn't believe that he was living with her.

It hadn't always been easy. It had been frustrating and infuriating and Eliot had wanted to toss in the towel a hundred times over those long months. But how could he with Parker there in front of him. It had taken him weeks to keep up with her on a run, but when his steps faltered or he lost his breath she was there, bouncing in front of him ponytail bobbing and long sinewy limbs pumping.

"C'mon Sparky...only another quarter mile home and then we can get showered."

Amazing what a little incentive could do for a guy.

And on the occasions when he just had nothing left to give she had been there to help him. Without a word she had been at his side, when he apologized for what he lacked she had silenced him with a kiss. She had reminded him that just last month he'd been walking on crutches, or last week he'd lost his breath a mile before now. She reminded him that he was getting better, everyday. And when he really needed it she reminded him of who the hell he was.

"Please. Did you forget? You are Eliot Spencer...you freed Croatia on a holiday. The biggest baddest men in the world are scared to death of you. You chew broken glass and walk on nails...and you make the best chicken soup I have ever tasted."

She kissed him quick and made him chase her until he started catching her with ease. She kissed him long and laid down beside him when he needed to rest but didn't want to admit it. She fell in love with every inch of his body, learned the origin of every scar, heard all the war stories ten times over and had kissed every place on him that anyone had ever made hurt. And in the middle of the night he had woken up to the sound of her tears, and she had told him about her brother and her parents; what little she remembered. She had told him about running away from over a dozen foster homes, about people that were supposed to take care of you and how they hurt you instead. She told him about living on the streets and being hungry and scared and how she had learned to take care of herself because no one else ever would.

"I will now. I promise...your not alone anymore. Not just the team, not just on a job but every day and every night. You won't be alone anymore."

Through her tears she had smiled for him and he had kissed her nose and even then she had insisted that he didn't need to take care of her.

"You don't need to take care of me Eliot, I can do it all by myself."

"I know you can. I know I don't need to but have you ever considered that I might want to?"

"You do?"

"I do...you took good care of me after all, and you didn't need to do that."

"At first I did. I mean someone had to and it was..."

"No it was not your fault."

"Okay fine, but still someone had to...and then..."

"Then what?"

"Well, I just wanted to. I wanted to be the one that took care of you."

"The same way I want to take care of you."

"But you, you do so much for me. This house, and you cook and you...you listen to me. No one has ever listened to me before. And I, I mean what do I do for you that a bunch of other women haven't done before? Or wouldn't do now?"

"Are you kidding me Parker? Really, did you just say that, ask that. Don't you know?"

"No, I don't know, maybe you could tell me."

"You love me Parker. You know me, every terrible thing about me. You know who I really am and what I do and you love me despite of all of it."

"Because of all of it."

"Most women would run away screaming if they knew just some of the things that you know about me."

"Most men wouldn't want to live with a crazy woman."

"We work Parker, crazy and violent but we work. Together maybe we make something kind of normal. Something very good for both of us."

"Our kind of normal."

"Yes Darling, our own kind of normal."

All of that was very well and good but none of it meant that Parker was happy about the job they had taken or Eliot's part in it. She didn't like that he needed his own room in case he needed to bring Shoshanna back to it. She didn't like that Sophie and Nate could play married and she and Eliot had to pretend they didn't know one another at all. And she had brought that up when they had begun discussing the job.

"Parker if I could ski I swear I'd play Eliot's part and you and he could be the married couple. But I am not much of an athlete and if I tried more than the bunny slopes I'd break my leg. It has to be Eliot. And you are going to have to be alright with it. It's for the job, plain and simple."

Fine and fine, she'd do her part and she would help the team and not cause trouble for them. But that didn't mean she had to like it.

And she didn't like it at all now. She was working in the cafe near the central room on the main floor of the lodge. She was making a mess of the fancy coffee drinks so badly that Sophie had finally allowed her to hang an 'Out of Order' sign on the damn machine. Now she was just serving, regular and decaf, and while her stand was not doing much business it kept her close to the rest of the team, but far enough away that she could notice things that they might miss. And she was certainly noticing Shoshanna Gray.

"Her shoes are ridiculous. It's snowing outside and she's wearing high heels? I hope she breaks her neck."

Sophie smiled and curled up closer to Nate's arm as they sat side by side on the sofa before the fire. In a very hushed whisper she spoke to Parker over the com link.

"Boots wold have been the better choice. But we aren't here to critique her fashion sense.""

Even Sophie had chosen boots, and they all knew she had an addiction to high priced wicked looking heels. Shoshanna Gray looked showy and over blown up close, too much make up; too much hair, her black ski pants fit like a second skin and the thin gauzy red sweater wouldn't have kept her warm on a balmy beach never mind if she dared to step outside. She had on too much gold jewelry and she gushed over the tall dark haired man she had arrived with. A Russian ski enthusiast that had won a few very minor competitions abroad and was here to compete in the tele ski qualifier so he could move on to California.

Something about the way he moved reminded Parker of Eliot. An assuredness to his strides, the way he held his shoulders and his posture he moved loose but with a certain sparseness as if any motions beyond what were necessary were wasted. Every motion was calculated and his eyes were wary and scanned the room constantly. Shohanna didn't seem to notice. Parker's attention became diverted as soon as Eliot entered the room. He was clad in blue jeans and a tight fitting jersey shirt and you could see the play of muscle under the fabric as he moved. A ski vest covered his back and part of his chest but did nothing to hide the width of his shoulders or the fact that his denim covered backside was pretty darn drool worthy. He slipped past the small gathering near the fireplace, including Nate and Sophie and walked over to the bar to order himself a beer.

Sophie waited about three minutes, and until Shoshanna Gray was in perfect position and earshot before she leaned into Nate and said.

"Oh look, isn't the man from the bar...Oh, do I remember him from...Oh darling help me..."

She nudged Nate and he looked up from the newspaper he had been pretending to read, leaving it neatly folded on his lap as he turned his head in the direction that Sophie was trying to point in discretely and appeared to consider the man at the bar.

"Butte...uhm...Butte, Crested Butte. Tele Skiing...Cross? No, Crane, yes Kenneth Crane. He must be here for the tournament."

Nate patted Sophie's hand as her fell to his knee over the paper and they nodded together and seemed impressed but not too impressed. Kenneth Crane wasn't supposed to be a gold medalist, otherwise Eliot had better be more than passable on those specialized skis, and while he had assured Nate that he could more than manage; tele skiing was a bit different than the more traditional alternative. Kenneth Crane would certainly not be taking part in the actual competition.

Ms. Gray's eyes lifted over the shoulder of the man she had been paying such close attention to and gazed over to Eliot just as he turned with a drink in hand and acknowledged Nate and Sophie on the couch as they waved in his direction. A small smile curved the corner of her painted lips at the sigh of him. Even from across the room it was easy to see that he had the Russian beat in regards to looks and the fact that he was being noticed by others and discussed, that just added the cherry on top of her interest. She wasn't crass enough to excuse herself openly and leave one man for the promise of another. But she wouldn't let an opportunity pass her by and when Eliot began to make his way over to the couch to say hello to the Connelly's she seized the chance that presented itself and made certain to turn just a bit to the side so that they bumped arm against arm as he moved past her. Eliot allowed his lager to spill just a bit over the rim of the glass he held, and it puddled on the floor about three inches from her foot.

"Oh, I'm so sorry..."

He stepped back and looked down and trained his gaze from her heels up along the curves of her, lingering on a few choice areas just enough to show an active sense of interest before his eyes and hers met and he gave her a smile that would have melted the panties off of a nun. And Shoshanna Gray was certainly no sister of the faith, even so her hand trailed up to her chest and fingertips held there as a blush that could have belonged to a school girl colored her cheeks.

Before she had a chance to reply Eliot spoke again, delivering the sinker right up close behind the hook and the line.

"Nothing on your shoes, thank goodness...because that would have been a shame."

You could get a woman's attention with a glance, you could keep it with a smile. But if you really wanted her to stand up and notice you above all others you had to notice her shoes. Women did not wear ridiculously high, pointy heels and not want them to be noticed.

Shoshanna laughed lightly and all but forgot the Russian standing next to her as she lifted a foot up on it's toes to further display her high heels and long legs. She obviously did know how to work with what she had.

Parker wanted very much to rip that shoe off her fat foot and poke her eyes out with the heel of it.

"Aren't you...Oh, don't tell me. I saw a write up about you from...Crested Butte. Your Kenneth Crane!"

Shoshanna pointed a lacquered nail at him and then reached out to brush her fingertips across his forearm, letting those digits rest there for a moment against all that powerful muscle before she drew them back.

"Uh, yeah. Yes, I am...didn't realize I'd gotten any press in Colorado but..."

Eliot smiled sheepishly as if being recognized was something new for him. If it had been true it might have been seen as very sweet, endearing and humble. But since it wasn't it just meant that Ms Gray was leaping at the bait. He raked his fingers through his hair and nodded to her as she chattered on adoringly, extolling his performance in Crested Butte.

"You were marvelous! Don't be so shy..."

And there she was with the touching again, Parker slammed the drawer on the cash register she was working with a loud bang and Sophie looked over and gave her one of those pointed expressions.

"Are you here to compete? How silly of me to ask, of course you are!"

Again with the humble pie expression Eliot shook his head no and took a sip of his drink before he explained the negative response.

"No, I'm not...I uhm...I had a little mishap a few months ago. Guess it happens to the best of us. Don't really want to push until it's fully healed. So I'm just here as a spectator and to help out with a few of the less advanced workshops and such."

Shoshanna gave a gasp of dismay and with her hand still on Eliot's arm she lead him bodily to the couch across from where Sophie and Nate were sitting. If he didn't want to make things look very awkward he'd have no real choice but to comply with grace so he did just that and found himself sitting next to the nearly fawning female as she scooted up close to his side. He made certain to take a hold of the arm of the couch as he lowered himself to the cushions and stretched out his 'injured' leg just enough that she'd have to notice he favored it slightly.

Sophie mentally applauded the action. It was just enough to play on the woman's obvious sympathies without going too far and over acting the part.

The man she had been speaking too stood there and openly stared as she walked right away from him, leaving him alone and snubbed and more than a little angry. Shoshanna did not so much as glance his way as he turned and left the lodge.

"Oh, that's terrible. Your right leg, hmmm? Pardon me for noticing."

Eliot sighed and nodded before continuing his tale of woe for his raptly attentive audience.

"Yeah, thankfully the ankle was a clean break but the knee...torn ACL. I should have known better, it was an expert course that I wasn't familiar with and we were trying out these new alpine bindings and..."

He just shrugged, but really how else did you explain the obvious. Accidents happened and it was far from unheard of for even the most skilled professional to suffer one.

"Oh, you poor thing. That had to have been excruciating, and for such an obviously active and physical man to be off his feet for..."

"Six weeks; well in the cast, and then two more with the knee splinted up."

Eliot filled in the blank as to the extent of his disability and the time frame involved. The details elicited a soft sound of sympathy from Shoshanna as she continued to eat more and more morsels of information out of the palm of his hand.

This was almost too easy.

"That's awful."

"It wasn't a picnic. Eight weeks of crutches, and people holding doors for you...everything is just ten times more difficult, even the easy everyday stuff. Just trying to work around it."

He shook his head and ended the little foray into complaint with a smile and a light laugh to show her that he was far from wallowing in self pity.

"I can't even tell you how good it felt to just being able to take a long hot shower."

"I can imagine."

She commiserated and from the look in her eyes she was certainly picturing Eliot in the shower, surrounded by nothing but steam and half covered in soap suds.

"But wow, enough about me...I didn't even catch your name..."

"Oh, Shoshanna Gray. It's such a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, absolutely likewise."

Eliot smiled and took her hand in his and just let them sit there together folded over her knee as he smiled and continued with the small talk.

"So what brings you up to Black Mountain? Skiing, snowboarding...I mean it's obvious your in terrific shape...you must love the sport."

"Oh me?" She laughed and shook her head no and Parker slipped into a detailed fantasy where she was gleefully hoisting Shoshanna Gray up to the edge off a roof in one of her harnesses and then letting her drop back down almost to the ground before repeating the process. "No, I mean. I dabble, a little this, a little that but I'm not an athlete."

"I'm sure your not giving yourself enough credit, maybe you could stop by after my workshop. I should be done in a couple hours. You could join me for the trip back down to the lodge."

Eliot smiled as he rose to leave, he really did have a class to teach. It would just be kids on one of the beginner slopes, but it was an integral part of his cover story and Hardison had really shown his skills in getting him the gig, and getting someone else out of it on such short notice.

"But only if you promise not to leave me lagging behind. I uhm, I'm not sure if I can keep up with a woman like you just yet. But I'd like to try."

The wicked gleam in his eyes hinted at the fact that he thought she was fast in ways that had nothing to do with the ski slopes. Shoshanna stood as he did and nodded enthusiastically. She could manage a less challenging course, so she was sure she'd do well enough not to embarrass herself, and if she was wrong and she fell well then Kenneth Crane to rescue her.

"I'll be there."

She all but danced in place where she stood as Eliot left the lodge, waving back to her with that always too charming grin.

Sophie patted Nate on the knee and snuggled up against his side with a smile as their prey had fallen hard for the bait. Parker turned and completely walked away from a customer that had been hemming and hawwing over a drink order.

The games had begun, and they seemed to be going swimmingly. Nate was pleased that he had taken this job, thinking that it would be a good one to get Eliot back in the swing of things.

Only one problem. A certain Russian man lurking in a discreet corner, watching Eliot and Shoshanna Gray with a very threatening gleam in his dark intent eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Shoshanna arrived just in time to miss the end of Kenneth's lesson. And it wasn't because she didn't want to see him working. The fact was she could barely ski but she hadn't wanted to admit that to a professional. Besides if she got her way they would be spending far more time together in front of a roaring fire or in the Jacuzzi tub in her room. As much as she would like to see him on the slopes, she'd much rather see the attractive Mr. Crane in complete privacy.

Eliot had really enjoyed himself, all but forgetting that he was on a job as he helped a large group of younger kids learn the very basics of tele skiing. He showed them how to pivot and turn, and how to use the equipment properly and safely. He had a lot of fun with it. The truth was that Eliot liked kids a lot more than he liked most adults. Kids were honest, they told you what they thought and they didn't pull punches or play head games. Kids didn't lie to your face unless they were trying to get out of trouble. He didn't need to keep his guard up and he could smile freely and laugh out loud in a way that he didn't so much when he was around adults.

Except for Parker. Even with the team Eliot maintained a certain distance, he held a lot in reserve, he didn't show his feelings or his motivations so much. He was used to keeping any emotion other than anger locked up deep inside. Yes, he had his moments; with Sophie mostly, when she got inquisitive and tried to get him talking and he would share bits and pieces of his past with her. He and Hardison shared a certain brotherly camaraderie, Alec being this younger geeky brother he loved to pick on but wouldn't let anyone else mess with. And Nate, well Nate fit in somewhere between Father and older brother. He knew he had to keep an eye on Nate, and he knew when to call him to the mat for something that was too dangerous. But he still trusted Nate to get them through the job. He respected Nate but he saw the man's flaws as well. But only with parker did he laugh at dumb jokes or bad movies. He only allowed his emotions to show to her and even then he didn't talk about them in detail. He preferred the actions spoke louder than words theory. Showing someone you loved them in a physical way was so much easier than talking about it.

When he saw Shoshanna waiting for him at the bottom of the hill by the lifts he knew she had not planned to make the trip up the slope and he had rolled his eyes, but from a distance where she'd never see it. Looked like the fun and games were over and he had work to do again. The hardest part was making it not look like work and pretending he was enjoying her company. Her rapt attention honestly made him queasy and the way she fawned on him made him want to cringe away. But he needed to play it up until they got better evidence of her wrong doing than some refutable receipts and pictures that wouldn't stand up to much scrutiny. If they could prove she had spent the week with him, and charged it all to her expense account and that Mr. Baker hadn't been anywhere near New Hampshire then they would have something to work with. They needed to smear her name beyond any shadow of doubt, not just hint at her having done bad things.

She waved enthusiastically and he brought a hand up and acknowledged that he saw her, painted a faked smile on his lips that nevertheless looked effortless and charming. Sometimes you just saw what you wanted to see most and Ms. Gray wanted to see him interested in her. He came to a halt about two feet from her, turning his knees to make the skis stop and setting the poles into the hard packed snow.

"I thought you were coming up for the session?"

He asked with a grin that said he had known she was more the ski bunny type after having spoken to her, but that it was fine with him.

"Oh, I had to take a business call and it ran so long, I didn't want to interrupt once you had gotten started. Let me buy you a drink to warm up with?"

"How could I possibly refuse? Let me stash my gear in my room and I'll meet you in the bar?"

She almost clapped with excitement, but stopped herself and just nodded and told him she'd find them a table in the Lostbo Pub.

Eliot moved off, pausing by the wall of the lodge to remove his skis and talk to Nate and the team over the coms.

"You better have an exit strategy Nate, because I am not getting wined and dined by this woman all night."

"I think something can be arranged."

Nate replied as he stretched out on the bed and watched while Sophie was putting earrings in and smoothing down her sleek little red dress, he had a smirk on his lips as he folded his hands behind his head and took the very appealing view of Ms. Deveraux.

"Parker."

Nate called over the earbud knowing that the blonde theif was hanging on every word that involved Eliot and Shoshanna Gray.

"Think we can arrange something before Eliot gets in hot water?"

"Oh, you mean before it's put out or get out?"

Parker snorted when she laughed and Eliot found himself shaking his head in regards to the far from funny joke she made.

"Yes, I guess we could think of something if Sparky isn't 'up' for the job."

"You're not funny Parker."

Eliot hissed under his breath so that anyone close wouldn't hear him. Parker might be able to joke about this now but he knew for a fact that she wouldn't be laughing if it really came down to him sleeping with Shoshanna or the team blowing this con. Part of him was a little put out that she was taking this lightly, and he wondered if her tune would change if he actually put some effort into flirting with their mark.

He might just like to test that out.

So with a wicked gleam in his eyes he tromped into the lodge and headed to his rooms, Shoshanna would be kept waiting a little longer while he changed but he figured that if she was half as interested as she looked to be then she wouldn't mind once she saw him.

Twenty minutes later his theory was proved to be true. When Eliot entered the room Shoshanna's eyes lit up like fireworks. He looked absolutely lickable in a blue cashmere sweater and tight fitting jeans. The clothing fit perfectly, clinging to the hard muscles in his chest on top and his backside looked some damned good in denim it should have been illegal. He had combed his hair so it fell all sleek and silky down to his shoulders, accenting his angular features and the firm set of his strong jawline as the color of his sweater made those blue eyes look brilliant and breathtaking like a winter sky. He found the woman he was looking for form the entrance to the Pub and waved in her direction as he slipped through the crowd to the small booth she had taken for them by the windows. The view of the mountains was stunning, but not half as nice to look at as Eliot Spencer. Shoshanna was oblivious to everything else in the room.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting, I just wanted to get cleaned up some."

"Don't apologize it was worth the wait."

He smiled and took the seat in the booth across from her and ordered a scotch rocks form the waiter when he appeared next to their seat.

They would sit for a while and sip their drinks, make small talk about her career and his. Eliot ordered a bottle of wine that would complement their meal selections and Shoshanna was very impressed by his knowledge about such matters. He went into some detail about how he loved to cook and how the right wine just accented an excellent meal and how once you experienced that perfect pairing that no meal ever seemed complete without it again. She talked about her life, and how she was living in Boston but originally from Miami; she only touched upon her current job as a political advisor and told him that what she really wanted to do was work with athletes, in a sports management position. She figured if she could make a politician look good she could do the same easily for a professional athlete.

"I am really ready for a career change too." She began as she sipped her chardonnay and stared deeply into those mesmerizing blue eyes as Eliot sat across the table from her but leaned in close enough that the conversation felt intimate. He met her gaze the entire time she spoke as if every word she said was the most important thing in the world to him. Eliot was a great listener, and thanks to Sophie's pointers and training he could read more into a conversation and the accompanying body language than he ever could have before he had joined the team. Just another instance where one team members strong points were passed along to the others and made them all just a little bit better and more versatile in the field. "I just…" Shoshanna smiled and let her gaze rise to the ceiling for a moment as she seemed to struggle to find the right words, but Eliot was certain that she was just doing so for emphasis, and once he heard what she said as she continued he had to smile because his hunch had been dead on. Thank you Sophie. "I want to be involved with something, and someone I can feel passionate about. It's too hard to promote a person that you just don't seem to have any kind of intimate, personal connection with. How can I make others interested in him, if I'm not?"

Eliot nodded; it made perfect sense, even when he allowed himself to consider what she said in broader terms. Of course, as he moved closer and took her hand in his and held it there close to his lips but not brushing those sultry tiers across the knuckles, he made the moment that much more alluring and intimate. Those calculated actions made certain that she got the impression that he was thinking that her words were indeed meant for him; and him alone.

"Now wouldn't any man want someone to work for him, to better him; to help him achieve his goals that he knew was personally invested in what he did? A man likes to know that someone is really in his corner, that they want the same things he does…professionally and personally."

Shoshanna bit her lower lip and made to reply in kind but the meal arrived then and with a smile and a shrug Eliot released her hands and sat back so their server could place the dishes before them on the table.

And she did so with a bit of a bang and some clatter, all but dropping the plates as she painted a huge fake smile across her face.

"You two enjoy your meals now. Hope I'm not interrupting anything by bringing the food."

Eliot looked up and caught the flash of jealousy in the depths of Parker's currently chilled blue eyes. Only the fact that Shoshanna was watching him so intently kept him from responding to that glare with an audible gulp.

He knew he'd be in for it later. But for now he just had to keep going as he was, he had Shoshanna Gray right where he wanted her. Even if that position had her a bit too close for his own comfort and he hadn't yet figured out how exactly to end the evening without her following him to his suite, or vice versa.

The thought of sleeping with this woman alone was enough to make his meal less appealing, the fact that Parker was all but grinding her teeth in frustration and becoming obviously upset with him didn't help matters any. Eliot picked at the poultry dish he had ordered. The Cornish game hen was really very good but he just didn't have much of an appetite. Shoshanna didn't seem to notice, she just prattled on leaving him to make the right comments at the appropriate times and to interject when necessary. Thankfully the conversation didn't require too much of his continued input. Ms. Gray was capable of keeping up her end as well as his and then some. In fact it didn't even dawn on him for some time that when she stopped speaking. He looked up to her form his half eaten meal and realized that the brunette's eyes had gone all glassy and her smile was a bit tipsy.

"Shoshanna, are you alright?"

"Well…uhm, yes. I'm perfectly fine."

Yes she was wonderful, except that she was slurring and had this comical expression plastered on her face.

Shoshanna Gray was stoned, completely and utterly stoned. Eliot glanced around until he found Parker. The blond server smirked at him and handed the black check folder with Eliot's bill in it to another waiter and walked away with the most self-satisfied smile on her face.

Eliot took the check and had it charged to Shoshanna's room. Then it was just a matter of getting the inebriated woman out of the booth and off to her bed, alone.

Shoshanna hung on him like a wet blanket, all giggling and hands moving over his chest and stomach. She could barely plant one foot in front of the other and would have walked into a few walls if Eliot hadn't been there to keep her straight and steady. The trip to her rooms took three times as long as it should have and she tried to take his pants off the elevator but he managed to keep her in check enough that he remained clothed and she got to her door without any serious mishaps. He led her inside and over to the bed where another fit of giggling over took her as he leaned down to help her off with her shoes.

"Okay now sweetheart it's way past your bedtime."

"Only if you're joining me Mr. Crane."

"I don't think that's a very good idea. I'd like you to remember it in the morning and you have let the wine go to your head."

He ran his hand down her arm just the way that Sophie had taught him to. It was a soft caress, almost a petting touch that he hoped would help convince her that he was right and she just needed to get to bed, alone.

He need not have been worried. Because she was asleep before he got her legs upon to the mattress.

"Guess this was your idea Parker? You drugged her, really?"

Parker's voice came over the com loud and clear and he could hear the smile that was curving her lips at that very moment.

"I wasn't sure you'd be able to get yourself outta that one Sparky, it looked like you needed a hand. It was a lot less violent than the rest of my ideas, even Nate approved."

Eliot took a moment to consider that and realized that Parker really could have done much worse to Shoshanna Gray. He decided it was against his best interests to argue the matter with the thief any further.

"Alright, point taken. I'm coming back to the room. I need a hot shower."

"I'll be waiting."

Just because Eliot didn't need her help in the shower anymore didn't mean she minded sharing with him at all. And if it meant she got to help scrubbing the scent of Shoshanna off of him that was just an added bonus.


	4. Chapter 4

True to her word Parker was waiting for Eliot in the shower. Hot water trailed down her perfect porcelain skin and a fog of steam was rolling out from under and around the slightly opened bathroom door. She was humming light and low and Eliot paused to listen to the sound of it as he removed the ear bud and began to strip off his clothing. Clad in nothing but his boxers the hitter stalked across the carpeted floor of the bedroom and stood watching the silhouette of Parker through the frosted glass of the shower door. Even indulging in so simple a pleasure as a hot shower she moved with an effortless grace unlike anything he had ever seen before. When she wasn't snorting with laughter, fidgeting with unease or bouncing off the walls with excitement Parker possessed a definite fluidity of motion. He was positive it had everything to do with the hours she spent perfecting her most gymnastic skills. Every muscle in her body was honed to perfection and fine tuned for performance, she was like a race car. And much like a sportster she needed careful and delicate handling sometimes and a firmer hand others. And while he was far from angry with Parker for the measures she had seen fit to take to rid him of Shoshanna for the evening he felt inclined to also remind the girl that he was still Eliot Spencer and he could have more than handled the situation on his own. He didn't mind her getting a laugh out of the situation, but he didn't want her to ever think that he was laughable.

Not that she did, or ever could. But men like Eliot only became what they were and who they were in part because they needed to constantly prove themselves. For his own sake and peace of mind he had a lot left to prove to himself. Parker had done a hell of a job putting him back together, and not just the in the physical sense. Long nights feeling her warmth against his back, tender touches and gentle caresses the simple and eloquent manner in which she had given her heart; had fed his soul. And the way she looked at him now, even after she had seen so much of that hidden vulnerability, she still gazed up to him with wide and starry eyes filled with awe and amazement and something not too shy of hero worship.

He very much planned to keep it that way. He never wanted to let her down, he'd never let her fall and when it came down to fighting for her he would win any battle, against any foe, or any odds all for the reward of looking into her eyes and seeing her love and adoration burning brilliantly in her beautiful blue gaze. Her love was a gift more precious than any diamond, it was wealth beyond measure and he knew that he did not deserve it. But that didn't mean he'd ever let it go now that he had it either.

She continued to hum and he allowed the tune to filter through his mind, and the words flowed from his lips as he slipped out of his boxers and let the black cotton shorts fall to the floor. He was smiling as he pushed back the glass door to the shower and stepped into the tiled cubicle and slipped up behind her, feeling the heat of her soap slippery flesh molding against the front of him from knee to hip, and backside to shoulder blades. He half sang and half whispered into the shell of her ear as he rubbed his scruffy jaw and chin against the smooth perfection of the curve of her neck.

"We were born before the wind…Also younger than the sun…"

His hands moved from her hips along her sides, fingers spreading to span the bones of her lower ribs as he rocked his hips up against hers from behind and let her feel the hard hungry rise of him against the toned curve of her backside. With a gasp Parker closed her eyes and allowed herself to all but melt against the solid wall of muscle and flesh that was the man behind her. She knew he wouldn't let her fall then, and that he'd never would. That little mishap on the roof had proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt and with that memory coming fully to the front of her mind she sighed and bit her lower lip in consternation with herself.

"I'm sorry…I'm not used to this El. I don't know how to be a girlfriend. Especially not to a man that makes women's panties melt away with a smirk."

"I do not."

"Yeah, hun. You do. And it's even sexier that you aren't fully aware of it."

"I wouldn't, Parker. I told you that you and me, what we have is different. I wouldn't jeopardize it for her, Christ especially not for her."

"I know that. I know you'd do anything for me. And I'm sorry for the way I've reacted the last couple days. I don't want you to think it's because I don't trust you Eliot. I trust you with my life."

"I know that darling."

His hands moved up to cup the mounds of her breasts, weighing each exquisite globe in his large palm and massaging it with strong but gentle fingers until a moan eased past her lips and Parker forgot what she had been talking about all together. His lips pressed down to hers fully as she turned and writhed against him and he took possession of her mouth along with the rest of her body wringing the most amazingly gratifying little whimpers and groans from her throat. Each utterance voiced into his mouth, he explored her mouth with teeth and tongue, lips nibbled and sucked and tasted. Her legs parted and she reached down between them to feel for the hard hot length of him and stroke her wet palm over the satiny steel of his arousal. Only then did the kiss part so that Eliot could do a little moaning of his own.

She teased him with her fingers, they stroked and massaged, squeezed gently and her thumb trailed over the tiny slit in the tip and spread the accumulated slickness that oozed from it over the spongy head of his cock before she rubbed it right up against the soft heated folds of her slit. Eliot flicked and tweaked her nipples between thumbs and fingers, worrying the taunt little nubs until they stood up in attention and she pressed her breasts more fully into his hands in search of more, more touch, more attention, more anything.

He could feel the slick heat between her legs and knew that she was ready for him, and that she wanted him. His head lowered and he buried his face in her neck, mouth moving over the curve of her shoulder, biting and licking in turn, he'd leave the marks of his teeth on her flesh. Perfect indentations upon her pearlescent skin, it fed the beast within him; the need to have, to hold, to possess and to keep. She lifted up on her toes and pressed the head of him into her tunnel with a sharp yearning moan of want. With a rock of his hips he fed three more inches into her, and held there their positions allowing little more. Those first few moments were torment for them both, rocking back and moving forth, their bodies together but not nearly as much as they could be or had been before. Both of them knowing the ecstasy they had already shared was no more than moments away but neither of them wanting to give into that need and lust just yet. It was so much sweeter when you made yourself wait. So for those moments they moved just slightly, building a slow agonizing rhythm that left them both gasping with denial when they could come no closer together, he could not penetrate her further and she could not take him in deeper.

Exquisite mutual torment.

Parker dripped sodden between her parted thighs and Eliot jerked and pulsed inside of her. He reached down and rubbed her parted outer lips, feeling the hot slippery flesh under his fingers and she muttered of her want and need as he teased her and spread her open around his shaft. Feeling incomplete and still empty deep inside of her and now his hands touching that sensitive hungry flesh it was more than she could take and she finally lost the game and whispered harsh and hot, all but begging him as she spoke aloud.

"Please…I need you…"

He didn't say a word, for a misplaced word at that moment would have gotten him slapped but the self-satisfied smile that curved his lips spoke volumes. Eliot liked to win, in fact he usually insisted upon it. This was no different and while Parker certainly had her moments, occasions when she had the upper hand over him. For the most part Eliot called the shots and took the more dominant role.

He held her against him, a heavy hand pressed to her stomach, low by her pelvic bones to keep her hips flush and hold his place inside of her as he moved them forward a step or two and then with his other hand on the small of her back he bent her forward, so she could place her hands on the tile bench inside the shower and he could hold her hips against his and keep her in that perfect position as he eased the remaining inches of his cock inside of her waiting tunnel.

It was the pure glory of completion, as they came fully together and he felt himself bottom out deep inside of her body and pressed himself to the hilt inside that perfectly welcoming sheath that was Parker. He had never felt as though he fit with a woman the way he did with her, from the first time he had come inside of her until that very moment it marveled him how well their bodies fit together. Be it as intimately as this or the way she was just able to share a space with him and they were both completely comfortable; limbs entwined and all wrapped up in one another. There was a certain synergy to them.

He gloried in that moment; holding her hips flush, her body bent before him, and then he began to move and she let out a long drawn out moan of satisfaction. It was a sound that she would repeat as he drew out to the tip and then slid back into her to the very limit. Over and over again, each thrust growing faster, deeper, Parker doing all she could to spread her legs to feel him come more fully inside of her. She couldn't get enough of him, nor he of her. His hand moved to her shoulder, clamping down and pulling her back against him, and she arched her back as that sweet heavy feeling pulsed inside her womb and she knew that it would only be a matter of moments before he would have her gasping and groaning with release. It was unlike anything she had ever known, so different than plummeting from the highest tower, or the greatest thrill of the chase. It was even better than stolen diamonds, or bringing in the bad guys.

While Parker saw being with Eliot as the greatest thrill in her life Eliot found on the peace in the moment. Not that he didn't feel the pulse rising in his veins or the blood pumping in his heart, he felt those most certainly but it was the overwhelming sense of completion and calm that he found so different for him. He could duplicate the physical feelings in a good fight, but the rest of it; the way the world simply slipped away into nothing but him and Parker that was something he had only ever found with anyone else. Parker was the first and only woman he had ever been able to both loose himself and find himself in.

His strokes were long and deep and she threw her head back in that last moment of abandon, Eliot doubled forward with the force of his own release and for long moments they held there suspended, remembering how to breath and think and move apart from one another again. Not that the night was over it was far from over. Parker rose and Eliot reached for the soap and the washcloth, he lathered the towel and then ran it over her body; lathering every curve of her before handing the cloth over to her so that she would do the same for him. Parker imagined scrubbing off every touch and stare that Shoshanna had indulged herself in and in doing so was very through in regards to washing off her lover.

Wrapped in bathrobes they'd return to the bedroom. Parker had ordered room service while she'd been waiting for him. It was called the honeymoon sampler and it consisted of white wine, three different kinds of cheeses, a platter of fresh fruits and an assortment of fancy crackers. They nibbled on the fare, fed one another and talked about the events of the day and the job.

And then they made love, slower this time, with less of a sense of urgency or haste. They explored and enjoyed one another and drifted into a deep dreamless sleep wrapped up together.


End file.
